Job Title: Mechanical Project EngineerJob Description
This Mechanical Project Engineer role focuses on the hands-on design of material handling equipment, including conveyor systems and related machinery, within complex manufacturing and industrial environments. You will transform facility requirements into engineered solutions that increase capacity, retrofit existing areas for new equipment, and optimize the layout and performance of material handling systems. The position combines mechanical design, project engineering, and on-site engagement, including frequent travel to facilities to assess current systems, develop layouts, and support the transition from concept through handoff to execution.
Responsibilities
Design material handling equipment such as conveyor belts, electromechanical machinery, and related systems to meet specific facility requirements.
Develop engineering solutions to add capacity, retrofit inbound and other areas for new equipment, and rearrange existing equipment within manufacturing and warehouse facilities.
Create and optimize site layouts, including material flow and equipment placement, to support efficient operations and future expansions.
Prepare detailed scopes of work for projects, clearly defining technical requirements, deliverables, and timelines.
Write Requests for Proposal (RFPs) and collaborate with vendors for site selection, equipment specifications, and procurement of material handling systems.
Produce engineering designs and documentation using AutoCAD (2D) and SolidWorks, ensuring accuracy, manufacturability, and compliance with standards.
Hand off completed designs to execution teams, providing technical clarification and support through installation and implementation as needed.
Travel up to 50% of the time to perform site visits, assess existing equipment and layouts, gather requirements, and validate design solutions in the field.
Apply project management skills to plan, track, and deliver projects on time, meeting deadlines and milestones as measured by key performance indicators.
Evaluate upstream and downstream impacts when changing components within systems, ensuring machines function effectively together rather than as isolated units.
Perform detailed mechanical design tasks such as selecting bearings and shafts, determining appropriate motor sizes, and calculating conveyor speed and strength based on product weight and throughput requirements.
Assess existing material handling equipment on-site to determine whether to design complete new systems or add-on solutions to current equipment.
Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, including engineering, operations, and vendors, to align design solutions with operational needs and constraints.
Support line implementation or launch projects by designing new layouts of equipment and retrofits for automation and material handling lines.
Maintain a strong focus on design quality and practicality, ensuring that solutions are robust, efficient, and suitable for high-volume industrial environments.
Essential Skills
Bachelor's degree in engineering (mechanical, industrial, electrical, or manufacturing) or equivalent engineering education.
5-7 years of experience in manufacturing or industrial design environments, with a strong emphasis on mechanical design.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in design engineering focused on automation, material handling equipment, conveyor systems, or material flow.
Hands-on mechanical design experience in a manufacturing setting, not limited to project management responsibilities.
Proficiency in AutoCAD 2D for creating detailed layouts, drawings, and site plans.
Proficiency in SolidWorks for mechanical design, modeling, and documentation of equipment and components.
Demonstrated experience in equipment design or machine design, including electromechanical systems and custom machinery.
Ability to perform detailed mechanical component selection, such as bearings, shafts, and motors, based on performance and load requirements.
Strong understanding of conveyor system design, including calculating required speed, strength, and capacity based on product weight and throughput.
Proven project management skills, including planning, organizing, and delivering engineering projects on time and within scope.
Ability and willingness to travel up to 50% of the time for site visits, typically 1-3 days at a time during weekdays.
Comfort working in industrial and manufacturing environments, engaging directly with equipment, layouts, and on-site personnel.
Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to translate facility requirements into practical, scalable engineering solutions.
Effective communication skills for writing RFPs, coordinating with vendors, and collaborating with internal stakeholders.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Experience in designing upstream and downstream components within systems engineering, ensuring multiple machines and subsystems function cohesively.
Background in automation engineering or as an automation mechanical engineer, particularly with responsibility for designing new layouts of equipment and retrofits for line implementations or launches.
Experience with retrofitting existing lines or inbound areas to integrate new equipment while maintaining or improving overall system performance.
Exposure to large-scale warehouse systems, automotive, or manufacturing design environments where complex equipment and material handling systems are common.
Familiarity with evaluating trade-offs between designing entirely new equipment versus modifying or extending existing systems.
Ability to work effectively under key performance indicators, particularly those related to meeting project deadlines and milestones.
Comfort navigating contract roles with the potential for full-time conversion, including participation in formal interview processes for permanent positions.
Adaptability to evolving on-site and hybrid work expectations, including an initial period of more frequent on-site presence to integrate with the team.
Work Environment
The role operates in a hybrid work environment, typically with three days in the office and two days remote each week, providing a balance between focused design work and on-site collaboration. During the first few weeks, you should be comfortable coming into the office up to five days per week to integrate with the team and become familiar with ongoing projects and processes. There is potential for a return-to-office model of five days per week in the future. You will report to the Industrial Design Manager and work closely with other engineers, project stakeholders, and vendors in a collaborative, project-driven setting. The position is structured as an initial 11-month contract. At the end of this period, you may be evaluated for a full-time role through a formal interview process. If a full-time role is not immediately available, the contract may be extended for up to an additional 13 months to provide further opportunity for a permanent position. There is also a possibility that the contract may conclude after the initial term, at which point efforts may be made to identify alternative opportunities either within the broader organization or with other local customers. The work involves regular travel of up to 50% for site visits, typically 1-3 days at a time on weekdays, to industrial and manufacturing facilities where you will observe existing material handling equipment, gather requirements, and support implementation. The environment emphasizes strong engineering culture, with access to tools such as AutoCAD and SolidWorks, and offers competitive compensation, stock benefits, and health benefits upon conversion to a permanent role. Dress expectations align with a professional office and industrial setting, where you may move between office spaces and active facility floors as needed.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Nashville, TN.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $60.00 - $65.00/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: - Medical, dental & vision - Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital - 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available - Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) - Short and long-term disability - Health Spending Account (HSA) - Transportation benefits - Employee Assistance Program - Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a hybrid position in Nashville,TN.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Jun 19, 2026.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.
